Two days later.
Lucci returned with the Marines.
Inside the temporary office, Sean looked at Ace with a stern expression.
"Have you made up your mind?"
"Yes, I have. I want to become a Marine and personally destroy the Great Pirate Era that man started!"
"Very well. But you are far too weak right now. Go to the temporary training grounds and report to old man Sanders. Don't come back to me until you've mastered the Six Powers."
"The Six Powers?"
"Lucci has used them in front of you several times. Did you not notice?"
"You mean that sudden burst of speed and the move where he attacks with his fingers?"
Ace grew excited. He had been coveting Lucci's techniques for a long time. During the few times he had watched Luffy and Lucci fight, they had been absolutely demolished by those moves. Ace had wanted to learn them long ago, but due to where he stood at the time, he hadn't spoken up.
"Correct. That high-speed movement is Soru, and the finger attack is Shigan."
"Beyond those, the Six Powers include Moonwalk, which allows you to walk through the air; Rankyaku, which creates long-range vacuum slashes; Tekkai, which makes your body as hard as steel for defense; and Kami-e, which allows you to sense air currents to precisely evade attacks."
"Together, these are known as the Six Powers."
"Of course, these six are merely the foundation. Building upon them, there are actually hundreds of derivative techniques and even a few secret arts."
"By the way, the creator of the Six Powers was old man Garp. Even without a Devil Fruit, he became one of the strongest individuals in the world using nothing but the Six Powers."
'What? Garp created this?'
'He became a top-tier powerhouse using only the Six Powers?'
Ace's eyes burned with an increasing intensity. How could he not crave such powerful skills?
"Commodore Sean, about Luffy..."
"Enough about Luffy. It would be best if he can figure things out on his own. If he can't, I'll have no choice but to send him back to Foosha Village. However, if he still chooses to become a pirate in a few years, then..."
"I understand!"
Ace nodded. He knew that Sean was only doing this for Garp's sake. Otherwise, someone who spent every waking moment shouting about becoming the Pirate King in front of the Marine—especially someone who had questioned Lucci about killing pirates outside that village—would likely have been arrested and sent straight to Impel Down.
He hoped Luffy would come to his senses. Otherwise, Ace feared that he and Luffy might truly end up on opposite sides of the law in the future. It was a scenario he never wanted to see.
Shortly after, Ace left to report to Sanders.
However, within a few minutes, Ain stormed into the office, fuming.
'What's going on?'
'I don't think I've offended this girl lately, have I?'
Seeing Ain's explosive expression, Sean was completely bewildered.
"Alright, tell me. What is this about Makino?"
"Makino? What about her?"
"I heard it from the Marines! They said you went all the way to Foosha Village just to snatch that woman away—that you practically kidnapped her!"
...
So, all this rage was because of that?
"Do you think Makino looks even slightly unwilling?"
"That..."
Ain paused. Every time she saw Makino during meals these past few days, the woman didn't seem unwilling at all. In fact, she always had a smile on her face. She really didn't look like someone Sean had forcibly abducted. Had she misunderstood?
But for some reason, she still felt an irritating knot of annoyance in her chest.
"Ain..."
"What?"
"You... couldn't be jealous, could you?"
"You... You... Stop talking nonsense! I have new recruits to train, I don't have time for your rambling!!!"
Watching Ain flee the room, Sean rubbed his chin. 'This girl... does she actually have feelings for me?'
Speaking of which, he hadn't eaten lunch yet.
'Right, I'll go find Miss Makino and have some seafood risotto! That taste... I can't go a single day without it!'
'''
The current state of the 16th Branch was akin to a refugee camp. There wasn't a single usable building; everything consisted of temporary tents. Even the kitchen was just a simple room hastily erected by the construction crew—after all, putting a stove in a tent was a recipe for fire.
"Makino, how have you been feeling lately?"
"Very well. Everyone is so friendly."
That was only natural. Ninety-nine percent of the people in the branch were men. Combined with Makino's appearance and her naturally gentle disposition, it would be a miracle if those men weren't friendly. Most of them probably viewed her as the woman of their dreams.
"By the way, Sean, what exactly is that dried meat you've been having me eat every day?" Makino asked, remembering something. "I feel like my strength has increased significantly lately."
"That? It's from a special Sea King we happened to hunt while passing through the Calm Belt. Its meat contains immense nutrition and energy; eating it regularly will continuously enhance your physical constitution."
"Oh, in that case, don't waste it on me. Give it to the Marines instead!" Makino immediately shook her head.
"Don't worry, every Marine gets a portion daily. That Sea King was over three hundred meters long. Although we could only bring back a fraction of its meat, these dried strips are enough to feed the entire branch for several months. Even when they're gone, we can just go back to the Calm Belt and hunt another one!"
"I see... Wait, did you say three hundred meters? The Lord of the Coast outside Foosha Village was only a few dozen meters..."
Makino suddenly reacted. An image flashed through her mind: two sea beasts standing side by side. To the left was the Lord of the Coast, and to the right was this Sea King.
Comparing the two, the Lord of the Coast—the creature that had terrified the entire village—looked like a mere child!
How on earth did one hunt a three-hundred-meter Sea King?
"Three hundred meters is nothing. In the Calm Belt, there are Sea Kings thousands of meters long—some are even ten thousand meters long."
"However, the ten-thousand-meter ones are the royalty of the Sea Kings. They stay in the deep ocean and are rarely seen."
'Ten... ten thousand meters?'
For someone from the East Blue, this was completely beyond comprehension.
"Makino, the East Blue is very small. Beyond its borders, especially on the Grand Line, there are many strange things that you cannot even imagine right now."
"Is that so? I hope I'll have the chance to see them someday."
Makino looked on with a hint of longing.
"There will be a chance. I'll only be staying in the East Blue for two years at most. After that, I'll be heading to other branches in the Grand Line or the New World. As my head chef, it's only natural that you'll come along with me."
"There's a saying from my hometown... let's see... ah, right! Whether you marry a chicken or a dog, you follow where they lead!"
Hearing this, Makino instantly blushed. "Sean, what on earth are you talking about?"
"I mean, since you've joined the 16th Branch, of course you have to follow the branch's transfers!"
"Oh... so that's what you meant..."
"What else did you think I meant?" Sean asked, his face a picture of "confusion."
"I thought... oh, forget it. What would you like to eat today?"
"Seafood risotto, please. Your seafood risotto is the best, Makino!"
"Then just wait a moment; I'll go prepare it right now!"
Watching Makino leave, Sean smiled slightly. 'Teasing her has its own unique charm...'
But in the next instant, Sean suddenly felt the temperature in the room drop by several degrees. Then, a cold voice echoed right behind him.
"Marry a chicken, follow a chicken; marry a dog, follow a dog?"
"My dear Commodore Sean, are these 'chickens and dogs' really referring to the 16th Branch, or are you referring to a specific person?"
Hearing that voice, Sean's face completely fell.
'Wasn't that girl at the training grounds?'